1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to earthquake protective structures, particularly to an earthquake protective bed which protects one or more occupants from injuries which may be caused during an earthquake by falling debris or structural elements.
2. Description of Prior Art
Numerous catastrophes due to natural causes, such as earthquakes and tornadoes, or due to those caused by humans, such as explosions, and the like, can all damage dwellings. Such catastrophes may expose an occupant of a dwelling to falling debris when ceilings and upper floors fully or partially collapse. The possibility of danger, or even death, to occupants of such dwellings is very real, particularly when the catastrophe occurs during the night while occupants are asleep and there is no advance warning to permit evacuation of the dwelling. In certain regions of the world where earthquakes and tornadoes are more common, numerous injuries and deaths can do occur when residents are asleep. While housing structures in such regions are generally specially designed and reinforced to be more resistant to damage and collapse, substantial damage can nevertheless occur, particularly when the catastrophes are intense.
In hospitals, houses for elderly people, and nurseries for children, many people remain in bed, not only in the nighttime but also in the daytime, without an ability to leave their beds when an earthquake occurs.
Meanwhile, statistics show that the probability of injuries is greatly reduced when occupants of a building have time to move to shelter under beams, tables, furniture, or other rigid elements of the building.
It has been proposed to protect sleeping occupants from unexpected earthquakes by providing a bed with a protective canopy (U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,541 to Tuchman, November, 1988). This bed has a permanent overhead canopy which is made of a steel mesh which is resistant to falling debris. The canopy covers the lower section of the bed and is supported by spring-loaded telescopic tubes. Normally the tubes maintain the canopy in the upper or raised position and allow the canopy to lower with attendant compression of the springs to convert or absorb the energy of the falling debris.
Because the canopy is installed permanently, a bed of such construction has an unattractive appearance, and occupies extra space in the vertical direction. This creates the impression that the room is smaller than its actual dimensions. Also the canopy is not rigid enough to withstand impacts from falling structural elements of the building. Besides, the metal mesh collects dust which cannot be easily removed. When the mesh is cleaned, the dust particles fall down through the mesh cells onto the bed bed. Further, the canopy increases the weight of the bed. This canopied bed also is inconvenient to move and cannot be easily adapted to match the interior of the room.